Travel and explore South Africa!

South African National Parks offers a variety of accommodation types and standards. Prices are
dependent on location, size of unit and quality of experience. All of our South African National
Parks offer park/camp-run accommodation. Each park/camp has its own unique selection of
accommodation types.

Conserving nature since 1926

National parks offer visitors an unparalleled diversity of adventure tourism opportunities including
game
viewing, bush walks, canoeing and exposure to cultural and historical experiences. Conferences can
also be
organised in many of the parks. Read more...

After some non pressure from some of you...................I decided to do a Trip Report on our annual October, Birthday present to myself, trip.

This year it was as always a number 99 decision to go..............work work work was as always the biggest problem.............deadlines have this strange behavior of interfering with my holiday plans!!!!

So a week before my birthday I did a quick check on what's available ( and as always it will only be 3 days!!! ) ..............one night at Mata Mata and one at KTC..........lovely!!!

So booking was done.............SO and LO decided to do the payment part as this would be their gift to me this year.

I was really happy with this trip as Lionspoon would be in the park the same time and by now it was high time to meet up with her!!!!

As always Lions was on my wish list...............and sorry for all the English people who have a problem with Afrikaans people who ask "were did you see lions??"..............I'm one of those Afrikaans persons who have a wish to see the lions. And you'll see later on in the TR how all people English and Afrikaans can block a lion sighting............

But then there was a lot more on my wish list.............some came true, some we missed ( once again!!!!) and some we saw that I did not even dream of asking for!!!!

Kgalagadi once again had a present for me.............and that I very happy for.

And as the one hand gave the other took................ ..............some very frustrating moments I had with a camera that just died on me!!!!!

My birthday present this year from SO and LO was three days in KTP. SO and I arranged everything, did some shopping and early Sunday morning, just after 3H30, we were on our way to the park.

We were at the gates just after six, but I had to sort out my wild card which needed to be renewed. That done and with our permit we were in and on our way to the garage to fill up and get the tyres settled!!!

We decided to drive up to Rooiputs and see what that part had in store for us. Our first sightings were of Springbuck and some more Springbuck.

Then something caught my eye………puppies!!!

It was a Cape Fox den and the little ones were playing outside. Mom and Dad kept a watchful eye over them.

While dad had his back to these two, they took the game up to another level.

At Gemsbokplein a BWB was drinking water. I saw something on the left and for a moment I thought it was another BWB, but it was way too small.

I then took a good look and in the split second realized that it was a Brown Hyaena, but then it was gone…………….I felt like screaming!!! Our very first sighting and it was gone before I could even realize what I saw never mind take a picture.

Ever patient SO drove forward a few meters and stopped. Let’s wait and see if it does not appear again………..I think I must have prayed the whole time………and then...........

We decided on a quick tuna salad and rest till 16H00. Then we’ll take an afternoon drive and see if the lions were still around and maybe the cheetah would be at the water hole.

Some photos of unit 4, one of the 2 bed river front units………the river front is still a bit much for me…….I know it’s a river only dry……..but I think for some of the tourists it might be a shocker when they start to wonder where the river is?!?!?!?!?!

And then the prize goes to…………this must be any leopards dream……….can’t be too difficult to climb up and jump onto the stoep???

After we’ve settled and had a nice lunch we went for an afternoon drive……..we thought we’ll go see if the cheetahs might have gone to the waterhole.

On our way we drove by the sleeping lions……..they have moved a bit to keep in the shade of the tree. Some of the people sitting with the lions looked a bit strange at us for driving by……….but I still feel seen one sleeping lion seen them all!!! We looked a bit strange back at them for sitting there the whole time?????

At the owl nest, one of the parents was sitting on one of the lower branches……..poor thing just look at those wings hanging. Raising 3 chicks must be hard work…..

A Kori Bustard………I have great difficulty to take nice photos of these birds…….they seem to just melt into the background!!!

Well 13th borehole was empty and there was no sign of the cheetahs and we had to turn round and head back to MM.

Back at the lions they had started to move, but mean while a lot of other people started to return to the camp………..so for once there was a small road block of cars……I counted at a stage 16 cars.

Some of the lions were moving right in the road and this lady was right next to us. I had to close the window so close she was………..and ja I know I’m queen, but when so close to them I remember it’s only in name………..

She kept on looking back to see if the others were still coming or maybe to hurry them along!!!

Then she decided to wait for them to catch up…….can see that paw doing the impatient patting!!!!